Ria Oomen-Ruijten´s reaction on speech of Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan - Main contents

Ria Oomen-Ruijten, European Parliament Rapporteur on Turkey: "I listened carefully to Prime Minister Erdogan's speech this morning and to the presentation of the long-awaited democratisation package. At first glance, I believe the package contains a number of positive proposals with regard to the position of minorities and the reform of the electoral system, such as the return of the Mor Gabriel Monastery, improvements in the status of the Kurdish language, the debate on the election threshold and the financing of political parties. I am interested to see the content of these proposals in more detail, and I will closely monitor the way in which they will be debated, adopted and implemented.

As Prime Minister Erdogan himself said, it is not rational to expect this package to meet all the challenges in Turkey. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to underline the importance of further reform.

Every citizen is entitled to good governance in an inclusive democracy with respect for human rights and the protection of freedom of religion and belief, with strong guarantees for freedom of expression and media freedom. Particularly with regard to these last issues, there are still challenges for Turkey that are left unaddressed by this democratisation package. A truly democratic, free and pluralist society requires true freedom of expression and independent media, and the judiciary has an essential role to play in protecting and enhancing these freedoms, thereby guaranteeing public space for free and inclusive debate.